How to Install a B&M Sport Shifter - Shifting Into High Gear - Tech

Installing A B&M Sport Shifter Into Your C5/C6

If you've had your C5 or C6 six-speed Corvette for a while, you may be tired of the loose, long-throw feel the OE shifter delivers. The shifter on the C5/C6 is remote mounted to the torque tube with the linkage connected to the transmission with one linkage rod. The torque tube connects the engine bellhousing to the rear-mounted transmission and houses the driveshaft down the center of the tunnel. This allows the shifter to be rigidly mounted to the driveline so the only variable is the shifter. OE shifters are long throw and are setup loose for the masses due to varying tolerances. This makes some shifters feel even looser than others. There is a solution though.

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B&M Racing and Performance has a direct bolt-in Sport Shifter to tighten things up and speed up those shifts. The shift effort is increased slightly, but the benefits are obvious from a 33-percent reduction in shift throw. You can feel confident the shifts will be precise and quick with the spherical pivot bearings that B&M uses. They have also fully isolated the shifter handle to keep the shifter quiet and comfortable for daily use. If you plan on taking your C5/C6 for the occasional dragstrip romp, the Sport Shifter will allow you to make confident quick shifts. If road courses are your forte, this B&M shifter will allow you to repeatedly find the gear you need. B&M is confident you will like the feel of their shifter, and they back it up with a million-mile warranty.

Replacing the shifter is simple once the console pieces are out of the way. It's one of those "you can't get there from here" things. The console compartment and then the center dash fascia have to be removed before the console plate can be removed to access the shifter body. You can replace the shifter in a couple of hours with minimal tools and very little aggravation if you follow our step-by-step install.

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How to Install a B&M Sport Shifter - Shifting Into High Gear - Tech

We start our install by removing the panel that houses the traction control button by prying the assembly up carefully with a plastic wedge or screwdriver. The console has a rubberized skin on it, so be careful not to gouge the surrounding console face with the tool you use to pop the panel out. You don't have to disconnect the wiring. The panel can be laid aside.

The console compartment comes out next by removing four 10mm nuts. The nuts are visible at the front once the plate was removed. The other nuts are under the oval-shaped covers on each rear corner. The covers pop off with a small screwdriver to expose the nuts. The auxiliary 12-volt power port requires connector removal before the compartment can be totally removed.

Once the compartment is out of the way, the center console upper fascia is removed. The screw shown is under the automatic A/C sensor cover that also pops off with a small screwdriver.

Before the center fascia can be removed, the Torx-head screw under the ashtray/cigarette lighter door must be removed. The plate then is held by push-in retainers that allow the plate to be pulled away from the dash. Watch how you lay the center fascia. If left in a bind for an extended period of time, it will not fit flat on the dash again. I'm not talking hours, but when left for days in a hot car, the shape changes.

The shifter knob insert has four tabs around the perimeter that hold it in place. Work the insert upward from all sides to avoid breaking the tabs off. Be careful because it's easy to scratch or scar the leather.

Now for the tricky part of the install. The shift knob is held from turning by a wedge that fits tightly into the shifter handle. When you grab the wedge, watch the leather knob. Wiggling the wedge while pulling upward helps to loosen it. Prying on the shift knob is not recommended, but in some cases necessary. Use two wide-blade screwdrivers to gently pry upward.

The knob will then unscrew counterclockwise. When you reseat the wedge after reinstalling the knob, don't get too aggressive. The knob also doesn't need to be run down until it seats and then turned until it's tight. Run the knob down until it seats, then back it off if you need to line-up the wedge.

Remove the 10mm nuts to remove the shifter boot. The original shifter boot can be reused with the B&M Sport Shifter. The only concern is making sure it fits over the new shifter tower when assembled. The boot fits tight over the tower, but with some silicone spray it will go over the tower and seal properly.

Before the shifter is removed, there is a pin at the rear of the shifter (not shown) that should be set in place with the OE shifter placed in neutral. The pin locks the linkage in neutral to allow easy shifter installation.

Before you pull the shifter handle out of the shifter housing, blow any debris or dirt that has accumulated before pulling the shifter out. Simply pull the OE shifter straight up for replacement.

The original nylon isolator must be installed on the new B&M Sport Shifter. A dab of synthetic wheel bearing grease on the pivot ball and isolator helps keep the shifts smooth.

Reverse the removal process mentioned previously, and the shifter install is complete.